A NESS MYSTERY

Recently I was contacted by Matthew Pearl, a writer who is doing an article for a national magazine on the 60^th anniversary of the publication of Ness and Oscar Fraley’s book THE UNTOUCHABLES.  In particular, he sought my help concerning a mystery involving the book’s publication.  We know for certain that Ness’s wife Betty and Bobby, their adopted son got almost nothing in royalties either from the book or the TV series. The question is why? A lady whose knowledge of Ness is immense and whom Ideeply trust said that she had found a letter in the Ness files in Cleveland in which Ness, fearing that the book would not sell, agreed to sell the rights to Fraley for a lump sum. On one of my research trips to Cleveland I could not find the letter, nor could a librarian, who insisted no such letter existed. In my book ELIOT NESS AND THE UNTOUCHABLES I discussed the deal but observed that the letter seems to have been misfiled. Pearl also could not find he letter and suspects the lady might have been mistaken about what she saw.  But no documented information exists as to the contract’s nature.  Yet we know that after the book’s fame Betty Ness well-nigh lived in poverty.  In fact, for a while, she had to live with their former maid, Corine Lawson, a black woman.  One possibility is that Betty was somehow cheated of her share of the profits, but if so, why didn't she fight back in court. Believing in the likelihood of such a deal, I included it my forthcoming novel about Ness THE FAMILIAR COMPOUND TRICKSTER.  Of course, that book is fiction, so the deal doesn't have to be historical.  But something like that must have happened.  However, knowing the truth would be fascinating. I have been helping Pearl by making suggestions and answering minor questions.  Indeed I hope he unearths the truth. I plan to write more about this matter on my new blog page..